Downton Abbey series five finally gets a start date as ITV surprises viewers with new trailer

If you’ve been sat there patiently waiting for the fifth series of Downton Abbey, then we’ve got some good news for you – the series has a start date.

Yes, ITV have confirmed that the show will return to our screens at 9pm on Sunday September 21, in its usual post-X Factor slot.

They broke the news on Saturday night ahead of The X Factor’s return – delaying the show’s start in order to unleash a brand new trailer on the viewing public.

And the minute-long trailer managed to shoehorn in a sea of familiar faces, with Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, Brendan Coyle and Michelle Dockery all present and correct.

Newcomers Richard E Grant and Anna Chancellor also put in appearances, as the clip hinted at some of the drama to come.

Such as this for example:

Yikes. (Picture: ITV)

Not to mention this:

Evidently a compromising position…(Picture: ITV)

Naturally producers have been keeping series five storylines under wraps, but we do know that the show picks up in 1924, and the family coming to terms with the changing times under the first Labour government.

We also know that Grant will appear as art historian Simon Bricker, while Chancellor is set to ruffle a few feathers as aristocratic Lady Anstruther.

And executive producer Gareth Neame has hinted that plenty of twists are to come, promising more ‘right-angled moments’.

We don’t know about you, but we’re cancelling all our plans for September 21….